Sighting means for guns



April 25, 1939. T. R. ARDEN SIGHTING MEANS FOR GUNS Filed Nov. 1, 1937 2Sheets-Sheet 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T. R. ARDEN SIGHTING MEANS FOR GUNSFiled Nov. 1; 1957 April 25, 1939.

a i a MIME v a 3&GEOMETR2CAL \NSWUM [:N 5 Sq Patented Apr. 25, 1939SIGHTING MEANS FOR GUNS Thomas a. Arden, Baldwin, N. Y., assignor toUltra! Products, Incorporated, Jamaica, N. Y., a corporation or New YorkApplication November 1, 1931, Serial No. 172,241

7Claims.

This invention relates to a gun sighting means of the type including arange finding means embodyin'g a construction and mode of operation anda cooperative relationship to a gun, such that, by adjustment of therange finding means to ascertain the distance to a target, the angularrelationship vertically between the line of sight through the sighting;means and the axis of the gun barrel is varied by substantially theexact amount required to assure that, for a given projectile having agiven muzzle velocity, the mere act of sighting a targetthrough thesighting means will result in the gun being disposed at the properelevation to compensate for fall of the projectile in flight and toassure impacts! the projectile with the target, either at the same pointwhere the line of sight through the sighting means intersects thetarget, or at a. point definitely related to such a. point, for anyrange within the maximum effective range of the gun, all as fullydescribed and claimed in my prior application, Serial No. 129,951, filedMarch 9, 1937.

Generally speaking, the object of the present invention is to provide amuch simplified and a far lower production-cost structure, as comparedwith the structure illustrated and described in my prior application,for accomplishing the purposes of the morecomplicated and more costlystructure of saidprior application.

Other objects of the present invention are: to provide means whereby thetelescope, which comprises part of the sighting and range finding means,may be adjusted to diflerent operative positions longitudinally of thegun for eye relief purposes, that is, to enable the marksman to obtain aclear, full field view of the target through the telescope in thenatural position of the head of the'ma'rksman' when the gun is broughtto shoulder; to provide means for the adjustment of the range findingstadia hairs of the telescope to bring said hairs into correctrelationship for accurate range finding'purposes; and to combine thestadia hair adjusting cam of the mechanism with the cam for varying theangular relationship vertically between the telescope and the gun barerel, in a one-piece, sheet metal stamping which is cheap and easy toproduce.

With the foregoing and various other objects in view; which will becomemore fully apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood,the same consistsin the novel features of construction, combination andarrangement of giants as will be hereinafter more fully described, iustrated in the accompanying n an defined m the appended claims, draw 35In the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of referencedenote corresponding parts in the difierent views:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a rifle equipped with a range findingmeans and a telescopic sighting means combination in accordance with theinvention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged top plan view, partly in section, of themechanism shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a central, vertical, longitudinal section through themechanism shown in Figures 1 and 2, some parts being shown in elevation.

Figure 4 is an enlarged view similar to Fig. 3, illustrating in sectionparts shown in elevation in Fig. 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 4, but taken on ahorizontal plane.

Figures 6 and 7 are cross sections on the lines 6-6 and 1-1,respectively, of Fig. 4; and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of an element of the mechanism.

Referring to the drawings in detail, G designates generally, a gun whichis illustrated as a sporting rifle, but which, within the purview of theinvention may be of any type, large or small, as will hereinafter becomeapparent.

on the gun G, which includes, as usual, a stock "I and a barrel H, issuitably fixed a bracket I! having a pair of upstanding arms l3 or theirequivalent into which are threaded thumb screws H which pass looselythrough holes I 5' in a horizontal bar l5 whereby said bar is removablymounted on said bracket, said bar having a plurality of the holes l5spaced longitudinally therealong to be selectively engaged by the screwsl4 whereby said bar may be mounted on said bracket in differentpositions of adjustment longitudinally thereof.

Carried by the bar l5 and suitably spaced apart longitudinally thereof,are front and rear rings I6 and [1, respectively, which are disposedvertically and. transversely relative to the gun and which serve assupports for a sighting telescope designated generally as T.

The telescope T includes a barrel I8 which extends through the rings l5and I1 and is suitably clamped in the rear ring ll, which ring ismounted on the bar l5 for swinging, movement in a horizontal plane andfor rotation about a horizontal axis. On the other hand, said barrel issupported within the front ring [6 for vertical and lateral adjustmentsrelative thereto so that the optical axis of the telescope may beadjusted laterally and vertically relative to the axis of the gun barrelto compensate for windage and to obtain various different angularrelationships vertically between the optical axis of the telescope andthe axis of the gun barrel.

Yieldable means comprising a spring l9 housed Within a cup-like member20 carried by the ring I 6, constantly urges the telescope T upwardlyand laterally in one direction in accordance with known practice. Also,in accordance with known practice, the windage adjustment means maycomprise a screw member 2! carried by the ring H5 at one side thereoffor exerting a lateral shifting force against the telescope counter tothe lateral shifting force exerted thereagainst by the spring l9.Similarly, and further in accordance with known practice, the means forvertically adjusting the telescope may comprise a screw member 22carried by the ring it at the top thereof for exerting a downwardshifting force on the telescope counter to the upward shifting forceexerted thereon by the spring I 9. These adjustment means will notfurther be referred to because the invention is not concerned withwindage adjustment means other than that it is provided and may be usedif desired, and because, once a proper initial vertical adjustment ofthe telescope has been made by means of the screw 22 for point blankrange, the said vertical adjustment is not disturbed. In other words,for purposes of the present description, it may be assumed at the outsetthat the optical axis of the telescope lies in a vertical planeincluding the axis of the gun barrel, and that the angular relationshipvertically between the optical axis of the telescope and the axis of thegun barrel is such that said axes intersect at some suitable point blankrange.

Within the telescope barrel I8 is a telescopic lenssystem of anysuitable type including an object lens 23 and any desired plurality ofco-' operating converging lenses 24. The object lens 23 is disposed nearthe front end of the barrel I8 and is longitudinally adjustable relativethereto to sharpen the image and to bring it into focus with the eye. Inthe present instance the object lens is mounted in a tube 25 which fitssnugly and slidably within the barrel l 8 and which may be secured indifferent positions of adjustment longitudinally relative to said barrelby means of a screw 26 which extends loosely through a clamp plate 21disposed against the outside of the barrel, and through a slot 28 in thebarrel extending longitudinally thereof, and is threaded into the tube25.

While the converging lenses 24 may be mounted on the barrel l8 in anysuitable manner, they are illustrated in the present instance as beingmounted as a unit in a tube 29 which snugly fits said barrel and isretained therein by'an eyepiece so threaded on the inner end of thebarrel.

Now, in accordance with the present invention,

there also is mounted in the barrel l8 a range finding means including apair of stadia hairs 3i and 32 which are disposed substantially in aplane including the focal point of one of the lenses of the lens systemand one of which is mounted for adjustment toward and away from theother. Preferably, said stadia hairs are disposed horizontallysubstantially in a plane transversely of the telescope including thefocal point of the object lens 23, and since said lens is adjustablelongitudinally relative to the barrel l8,v said stadia hairs also aremounted for adjust-' ment longitudinally relative to said barrel so thatthey may be disposed substantially in a plane transversely of thetelescope including the focal point of said object lens no matter whatthe position of adjustment of said object lens may be.

The operation of the present range finding means consisting essentiallyof the stadia hairs 3!, 32 in combination with the telescope lenssystem, is predicated upon the known approximate height or width ofcertain well known objects of more or less relativelysmall height, orwidth, depending upon whether the stadia hairs are disposed horizontallyor vertically, upon maximum range to be determined in any given case,and upon the magnifying power of the lens system. For example, in thecase of a firearm of the small caliber, sporting rifle type, the maximumelfective range of which is, for example, two hundred yards, and in thecase of a lens system having a magnifying power sufficient to renderrelatively small objects clearly visible at a distance of two hundredyards, operation of the range finder may appropriately be predicatedupon objects well known to have some arbitrary small height, or. width,such, for example as approximately six inches. On the other hand, in thecase of guns having longer effective ranges, and in the case oftelescopes having more powerful lens systems, operation of the rangefinder may be predicated upon objects having well known greater height,or Widths.

Assuming that the present telescope T has a sufficient magnifying powerto render small objects clearly visible at a distance of two hundredyards and that the gun G is of the small caliber, sporting rifle typehaving a maximum effective range of two hundred yards, well knownobjects of approximately six inches in height, or Width, or of otherarbitrary small height, or width, suitable on which to predicateoperation of the range finder are, for example, a mans head, the head ofa deer, or in fact, any object which is known to the marksman to have aheight, or width, of approximately six inches or any other small heightor width, which may arbitrarily be chosen.

By sighting through the telescope T and adjusting the stadia hairs sothat they exactly bracket or subtend an object six inches in height orof other arbitrarily chosen small height, located at difierent knowndistances from the gun G, and by recording the distance apart of thestadia hairs for each such distance, it is apparent that when,subsequently, the stadia hairs are adjusted to exactly bracket orsubtend an object known to be of the same or approximately the sameheight as the object or objects on which the stadia hair adjustmentrecords were based, but of unknown distance from the gun, such distancemay very accurately be determined by the spaced apart relationship ofthe stadia hairs. In other words, there will be a definite anddifferently spaced apart relationship of the stadia hairs for an objectof a given height at every differentv distance from the gun, and if thedistances represented by different spaced apart relationships of thestadia hairs are known, it is manifest that by sighting through thetelescope at an object an unknown distance away, but known to be ofapproximately the basic small arbitrary height on which operation of therange finder is predicated, and by adjusting the stadia hairs so thatthey exactly bracket or subtend such object, or bracket or subtend aportion thereof of the small known arbitrary basic height, reference tothe record previously made will show that the object is a definitedistance away.

33, GEOIJ: Ei iii CAL it! STRU E N i Manifestly, this way of determiningunknown distances or ranges is exceedingly accurate due to the smallangles involved. Moreover, once arecord has been made of the distancesor ranges represented by certain spaced apart relationships of thestadia hairs for a telescope of any given magnifying power, the samerecord applies to all other duplicately constructed telescopes, which,of course, is important from a manufacturing standpoint. Manifestly, theuse of a telescope or magnifying lens system is not essential. However,by the use of a magnifying lens system, the range finder is renderedmuch more accurate than it would be if used without a magnifying lenssystem. Of course, if height is to constitute the basis of operation ofthe range finding means, the stadia hairs will be disposed horizontally.If, on the other hand, width is to constitute the basis of operation ofthe range finder, the stadia hairs will be disposed vertically.

According to the present invention the stadia hair 3| has a fixedoperative position and the stadia hair 32 is adjustable, the means forad justing the stadia hair 32 preferably being calibrated to indicatedifferent ranges for differently spaced apart relationships of saidstadia hairs. However, the provision of such calibrations is notessential for reasons which will subsequently appear.

The stadia hair 31 is mounted across the forward, open end of a thimble33, and said thimble is fixedly mounted in any suitable manner in therear end of a sleeve 34 which fits snugly within the barrel l8 and islongitudinally adjustable relative thereto to bring said stadia hairinto the focal plane of the object lens 23. The other stadia hair 32 iscarried by the substantially inverted U-shaped body portion 35 of a yokeele-,

ment 36 and extends horizontally across the space between the oppositesides of said yoke body portion. From the opposite sides of said yokebody portion 35 a pair of arms 31, 31 extend rearwardly and areaccommodated in spaces between the sleeve 34 and the thimble 33 providedby cutting away the sides of said thimble as indicated at 38 (Fig. 8).At its rear end the thimble 33 has an outwardly extending flange 33which, at opposite sides of the thimble, is notched as indicated at 40,the free or rear ends of the arms 31, 31 being pointed and being engagedin said notches, whereby the yoke is pivotally engaged with the thimblefor swinging movement in a vertical plane to vary the transverseseparation of stadia hair 32 and stadia hair 3!.

Extending forwardly from the body portion 35 of the yoke element 36 isan arm 4|, and connecting said arm with the sleeve 34 is a contractilecoil spring 42 which exerts a constant rearward and upward influence onsaid yoke element, whereby the pointed ends of the arms 31, 31 thereofare maintained engaged in the notches 40 and whereby the stadia hair 32is urged constantly toward the stadia hair 31.

Carried by the arm 4| is a cam follower 43 which cooperates with a cam44 slidably mounted on the barrel l8, said cam follower preferably, butnot necessarily, being inthe form of a screw member or its equivalentadjustable with respect to the arm 4| to obtain a correct relationshipbetween the cam 44 and the stadia hairs 3!, 32.

The cam 44 is comprised by the under face of an upwardly pressed portion45 of a cam plate 46, which plate generally speaking, is of segmentalshape in cross section and is seated on top of the barrel I 8 and isguided for sliding movement longitudinally of said barrel, but is heldagainst rotation relative thereto, by a segmental member 41 whichembraces the barrel [3 and has its free edges cooperating with the freeor side edges of said cam plate 46, (Fig. 6). In other words, the freeedges of the segmental member "comprise stops against which the free orside edges of the cam plate 46 abut, whereby said cam plate is heldagainst rotation relative to the barrel l8 and is guided for slidingmovement along said barrel.

For retaining the cam plate 46 on the barrel l8 there is provided asecond segmental member, designated as 48, which embraces the segmentalmember 41 and has its free edge portions overlapping the free or sideedge portions of the cam plate 48. Mbreover, in order to provide forfree sliding movement of the cam plate 46, the same does not havesurface contact with the barrel l8, but only point contact therewithafforded by any desired plurality of protuberances 43 pressed eitherdownwardly from the cam plate or upwardly from the barrel.

At their bottoms the segmental members 41 and 48 are connected togetherby an eyelet 50, the inner end portion of which is disposed in and fitsneatly between the side edges of a slot 5| in the bottom of the barrel18, whereby said segmental members are held against rotation relative tosaid barrel.

Extending through the eyelet 50 into threaded engagement with the sleeve34, is a screw 52 which, in cooperation with said eyelet, holds saidsleeve against rotation relative to the barrel l8. As shown, the slot 5|is elongated longitudinally of the barrel 1 8. Accordingly, by looseningthe screw 52, the sleeve 34 may be adjusted longitudinally of the barrel18 to bring the stadia hairs 3|, 32 into the focal plane of the objectlens 23, and by then tightening said screw the sleeve may be secured initsadjusted position.

In the tops of the barrel l8 and the sleeve 34 are alined slots 53, 54,respectively, through which the cam follower 43 extends into engagementwith the cam 44.

Since the arm 31 of the yoke element 36 is urged constantly upward bythe spring 42, the cam follower 43 is maintained in engagement with thecam 44. Accordingly, movement of the cam 44 longitudinally of the barrell8 will result in rocking movement of the yoke element 36, withconsequent movement of the stadia hair 32 toward or away from the stadiahair 3|, depending upon the direction of movement of the cam and itscontour. In any given longitudinally adjusted position of thecam thestadia hairs 3!, 32 will, of course, be disposed a definite distanceapart, and in this connection said cam is plotted with reference to thebracketing or subtending by the stadia hairs of an object of knownheight located at different distances from the mechanism, so that eachdifferent longitudinally adjusted position of the cam corresponds to adifferent and definite range.

The cam plate 46 is provided with a second cam 55 which generallyspeaking, slopes forw'ardly and downwardly and is comprised by the upperface of a second upwardly pressed portion 56 of said cam plate 46 andcooperates either directly with the inner end of the adjusting screw 22,or with a narrow cam follower element 51 which is adjustable with saidscrew and affords line or edge contact with said cam across the same. Ineither case, since the screw 4- awaseo 22 or the element 51, as the casemay be, has a fixed operative relationship to the gun G, and since thecam 55 slopes forwardly and downwardly, it is apparent that shifting ofsaid cam 5 forwardly will result in downward and forward tilting of thetelescope T relative to the gun G, and that shifting of said camrearwardly will result in forward and upward tilting of the telescoperelative to the 'gun.

For a given gun using given ammunition, the necessary elevation of thegun to compensate for fall of the projectile in flight for differentranges either is known or may very readily be ascertained. The cam 44has a definite position for each different range. Also, the gun G musthave a definite angular position relative to the telescope for eachdifferent range to assure impact of the projectile with the targeteither at the point where the line of sight through the telescopeintersects the target or at some point in definite relationship to thepoint where the line of sight intersects the target. Therefore, all thatis required to obtain proper angular adjustment between the telescopeand the gun by adjustment of the range finding means is so to shape thecam 55 that, for any given longitudinally adjusted position of said camin harmony with the cam 44, the angular relationship vertically betweenthe axis of the gun barrel and 80 the optical axis of the telescope issuch that, for a given ammunition, the gun will be disposed at theproper elevation relative to the line of sight through the telescope asto assure impact of the projectile with the target either coincilldentally with the point at which the line of sight through the telescopeintersects the target, or at a point in definite relationship to saidfirst mentioned point. The cam 55 has such a shape. It follows,therefore, that responsive to adjust- 4o ment of the present rangefinding means there occurs a relative angular adjustment between theaxis of the gun barrel and the optical axis of the telescope such that,for a given projectile having a given muzzle velocity, sighting of thetarget through the telescope will result in proper elevation of the gunto assure striking of the target by the projectile either at the pointwhere the line of sight intersects the target or at some other point indefinite relationship to said first mentioned point. Of course, it ismost practical in this respect to provide for impact of the projectilewith the target coincidentally with intersection of the line of sighttherewith, but so long as the point of impact has a definiterelationship to the point of intersection of the line of sight with thetarget, the point of impact. obviously may be spaced from the point ofintersection of the line of sight with the target and the marksmanmerely is required to make an allowance for such spacing in aiming thegun. Preferably the line of sight is the optical axis of the telescope,but this is not essential.

In adapting the mechanism for use by any given marksman, the object lens23 first is adjusted to sharpen the image and to bring it into focuswith the eye. By adjustment of the sleeve 34 the stadia hairs 3|, 32then are brought into the focal plane of the object lens. The cam plate46 then is shifted until the portion of the cam 44 corresponding topoint blank range cooperates with the cam follower '43. By adjustment ofthe cam follower 43 the stadia hair 32 then is adjusted relative to thestadia hair 3| to correspond to point blank range. The telescope then isad- J'usted longitudinally in the supporting rings l6 and H to obtain apoint blank range relationship between the cam 55 and the cam follower51. Finally the bar |5 carrying the rings I6 and I1 and the telescope isadjusted longitudinally of the gun so that when the gun is brought to 5shoulder the telescope is disposed to afford eye relief; i. e., a clearfull field view of any target which may be sighted through the telescopewhile the gun is at shoulder and the marksmans head and eye are in thenatural positions they occupy 10 in aiming and firing the gun. If, now,the cam plate 46 is slid to adjust the stadia hair 32 relative to thestadia hair 3| to bracket or subtend a target, or a portion of a.target, of the arbitrarily small height on which operation of the range15 finding means is predicated, the cam 55 will coact with the camfollower 51 to adjust the angular relationship vertically between theline of sight and the axis of the gun barrel so that, by the mere act ofsighting the target, the gun will be disposed 20 at the proper elevationto cause the projectile to strike the target either at the pointwherethe line of sight intersects the target, or at a point in definiterelationship to such point, depending,

as aforesaid, upon whether the arrangement is 25 or is not such that thepoint of impact of the projectile and the point of intersection of theline of sight with the target are the same.

For sliding the cam plate 46 the same is formed with or has suitablyattached thereto a finger 30 piece 56, while for determining range bysliding adjustments of said cam plate, said plate is calibrated asindicated at 59 for cooperation with a suitable relatively fixed index6|]. Moreover, the mechanism includes a reticle in the form of a 35vertical hair 6| carried by the thimble 33 and disposed substantially inthe same plane transversely of the telescope as the stadia hairs 3| and32.

Regarding the fixed stadia hair 3|, it will be 0 observed that the sameis disposed in a horizontal plane including the optical axis of the telescope, which also is the present sighting axis. Therefore, according tothe present invention, the point of intersection of the reticle hairwith 5 the stadia hair 3| is used for sighting purposes followingadjustment of the stadia hair 32 relative to the stadia hair 3| forrange ascertaining purposes.

From the foregoing description, considered in m connection with theaccompanying drawings and in connection with the disclosureof my priorapplication, Serial No. 129,951, it is believed that the construction,operation and advantages of the present mechanism will be clearlyunderstood. It is desired to point out, however, that while only asingle structural embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, the same obviously is capable of embodiment in various otherspecifically different mechanical struc- 6o tures within its spirit andscope as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a telescopic sight for a gun having a barrel, a telescope mountedon the gun for tilting o5 movement in a vertical plane relative theretoand having a pair of stadia hairs one of which is movable toward andaway from the other transversely of the telescope, means including a camslidably mounted on the telescope for moving 70 said movable stadiahair, said cam having a contour such that for different definitepositions of the same the stadia hairs are spaced apart differentdefinite distances such that subtending by the same of a known dimensionof a target moral;

llxlUAL W5 2 liUl fltN l corresponds to a definite range of the target,and a second cam and a cooperating cam follower, the latter on the gunand the former slidable as a unit with said first mentioned cam andcooperable responsive to adjustment of said first mentioned cam toeffect a vertical angular adjustment of the telescope relative to thegun such that for a given projectile having a given muzzle velocity anda definite range adjustment of said first mentioned cam, sighting of thetarget through the telescope will result in the gun being disposed atthe proper elevation to cause the projectile to strike the target indefinite relationship to the point of intersection of the line of sightwith the target, said first and second mentioned cams being pressed froma single cam plate.

2. In a telescopic sight as set forth in claim 1, means for mounting thetelescope on the gun for longitudinal adjustment relative theretowithout disturbing the cooperative relationship between the secondmentioned cam and its cam follower.

3. In a telescopic sight as set for in claim 1, a lens in the telescope,means mounting the stadia hairs for adjustment longitudinally of thetelescope into the focal plane of said lens; a cam follower included inthe means for adjusting the movable stadia hair, said cam followercooperating with the first mentioned cam and being adjustable to bringthe movable stadia hair into correct position relative to the otherstadia hair for accurate range indication for any position of adjustmentof said first mentioned cam.

4. In a telescopic sight as set forth in claim 1, the first mentionedcam being comprised by the inner surface of a formation pressedoutwardly from the cam plate.

5. In a telescopic sight as set forth in claim 1, a sleeve slidablymounted in the telescope barrel; a thimble carried by said sleeve; oneof the stadia hairs having a fixed operative position and being carriedby said thimble; a yoke element pivotally engaged with said thimble andcarrying the movable stadia hair, and a cam follower carried by saidyoke element for cooperation with the first mentioned cam whereby theyoke is swung and the movable stadia hair is adjusted relative to thefixed stadia hair responsive to adjustment of the first mentioned cam.

6. In a telescopic sight as set forth in claim 1, the cam plate being ofarcuate cross section and being slidably mounted on the exterior of thetelescope; a member embracing the telescope barrel and guiding said camplate for sliding movement longitudinally of the telescope and holdingsaid cam plate against rotation relative to the telescope; and a secondmember embracing the telescope and overlying edge portions of the camplate to retain the same in assembly with the telescope.

7. In mechanism of the class described, a telescope barrel, a fixedstadia hair therein, a yoke element rockably mounted in said telescopebarrel, a stadia hair carried by said yoke element for movement towardand away from said fixed stadia hair responsive to rocking of said yokeelement, a cam slidable on the telescope barrel, a cooperating camfollower on said yoke element, and spring means tending constantly torock said yoke in a direction to urge said cam follower into contactwith said cam.

THOMAS R. ARDEN.

